Never Bet the Devil Your Heart
by magic-blood
Summary: Hook's modern day daughter, Eva, is dragged to Neverland to seduce Peter into adulthood. Little do Hook, Peter and the boys realize; she is not one to underestimate. Rated for language.
1. Eva's Birthday

**Never Bet the Devil Your Heart**

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I kept my mouth shut for too long  
All this time you got me wrong  
Now we're in this way too far  
I'm about to break your heart  
Tear everything we had apart  
'Cause I'm feeling lost  
When I'm in your arms  
The reasons are gone  
For why I was holding on to you  
I tried so hard  
To be the one  
I don't like who I've become  
-Mouth Shut

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Captain Hook was pacing before a closed door on the deck of his ship. A feeling of dread was growing in him with each loud step he made. It was the dead of night, perhaps sometime past midnight. It didn't matter to him though, there was something of far greater importance happening on this evening.

He leaned against the door and took off his hat, he had been worrying over this matter for hours now; the birth of his child.

This wouldn't be his first child but if all would go as planned, it would be his first born alive and his first son to carry on his name and a plan years in the making.

Suddenly, the door that he had been leaning against opened. The Captain looked to the shiphand to see a mixture of disappointment and fear in his eyes obedient eyes. Hook lost all hope there and then.

"Is the child alive?" asked Hook in a hushed whisper so the mother wouldn't hear from inside the room.

The ship hand nodded meekly before Hook quickly pushed him to the side and entered the airless room. Only a bed could be found in the crapt space accompanied by a new mother cradling an infant.

His eyes widened, "The boy lives?"

The exhausted woman looked up to him away from the bundle in her arms. She wasn't happy, something the captain found odd. If he was alive what other worries could there be?

"James," she began, "there's something I need to tell you—"

Before she could finish her sentence he took the small infant out of her arms, he inspected the child for a moment before his expression fell. The mother frowned along with him knowing she had let him down… again.

"James please, it isn't so awful, we could keep her!" she pleaded with him knowing that in the end she really had no say over her baby girl.

"I wanted a BOY! A son dammit all!I can't keep after Pan for all of ever," he yelled causing the baby to begin to cry in his arms. "She's just a useless, pathetic _girl_."

Hook turned his back to the mother as she had also begun to cry.

"Katrina… you know this won't do, you said it would be a son!"

"I'm sorry, James," was all she could mutter over and over.

He looked back to her thinking of the pathetic mess she was, he placed the baby back into her arms. She looked up to him confused.

"Take her to London," he stated quickly and simply.

"Where?"

"Would you rather I'd throw her to the crocodile now?" he mumbled to himslef questioning his own plan.

She stumbled out of bed, "Back to England? But I don't understand."

"As I have said, I have no purpose for a girl. A boy would carry on the Hook name—even captain this very ship. You see Katrina, unlike that Pan I am old and aging quicker than anything in Neverland! By the time she is of age, it will all come together."

He reached for a piece of parchment in his pocket along with a quill and began scribbling a letter. She watched from over his shoulder. After knowing him for decades, it wasn't a surprise his actions remained as mysterious to her as the day they had met.

"What shall all come together, James?" she asked.

He folded the letter and slid it onto his hook, "When that girl is seventeen Neverland will be in even worse condition then it is these days. Pan will be about the same age, give or take a few centuries."

Katrina nodded, "You'll use her to have Peter fall in love with?"

He nodded with a smile hidden beneath his twisted mustache and pointed the letter at her, "Couldn't be a better plan if Wendy herself was still alive to kidnap."

"Sounds as if that boy would have had better luck if you had a son, at least that death would have been without heatbreak."

She took the letter and was about to unfold it when he stopped her, "Uh uh uh Kat, do not let anyone see this until our daughter's seventeenth birthday. That will be the night I will come for her to take her home. Until that night raise her in England, tell her stories of her infamous father," he added, his voice filled with pride.

Katrina nodded putting the letter away in her pocket, Hook raised her chin with his hook so their eyes could meet.

"On her seventeenth birthday, I will come for the both of you."

She held his cold hook in her hand, "I'll await the night."

He nodded with a smirk, "I must warn you, that world has changed since last we've seen of it."

Katrina took her baby into her arms, "It doesn't make a difference to me, I'll have her with me."

Hook looked to them curiously, "Have you given her a name?"

Katrina gazed to the baby before her nodding, "Her name shall be Evangeline Katrina Hook, it shall mean the death of Neverland."


	2. Homecoming

**A/N- Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Really wasn't expecting five reviews for the first chapter, what fun surprise! Anyways it didn't take me that long to update, did it? Heehee. Please review my brilliant readers :)**

**~Rose**

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I ran down a dimly litted street to where a car was parked on the corner of the street. The sound of the music could still be heard echoing from the high school I happened to be running away from. It had to be nearing eleven o'clock and a feeling of dread had been growing in me ever since I realised my friends had suddenly disappeared from around me.

"Hey!" I called to the car resting next to the sidewalk, "Emma!"

Emma was my friend. I mean, we weren't _best _friends but I knew her since last year. The thing with her though was she was forgetful, she must have forgot I needed a ride. She must have forgotten I was still on the dance floor when she walked out.

A girl poked her head from the window laughing to the person in the driver's seat. I frowned crossing my arms standing next to her.

"I need a ride Emma, don't you remember? You drove me here."

She only laughed more and mumbled something slurred to the point of incomprehensibility.

I rolled my eyes, "You're drunk."

"You see, that'sactly why you can't come wit us, you're too… boring!" she spat mangling the Enlgish language.

I was outraged, she was out of her mind, past the point of buzzed. She was someone else, a sloppy, hideous, drunk.

"But you're my only ride home!" I practically yelled hoping that somehow the real person under the spiked punch could hear me.

"Then walk!" she screamed back before the car sped off into the chill night leaving me standing there alone and cold.

That's exactly how I got to the position I am in at the present; riding in the back of a police car being escorted home by my legitimately creepy uncle who insists I'm a failure at life and a delinquent that should be kept off the streets like some psycho murderer or serial rapist. Perhaps I'm getting far too ahead of myself.

"You know Evangeline," he begins in that long sort of drawn out way he has about him, like every word is hard to pronounce or something. "When I was a kid I stayed home every night, I had homework to do, sports to participate in."

_Here we go agian_ I think to myself.

"I wasn't out on the streets alone at half past midnight!"

I looked to his face in the mirror of the car, if only he knew the true reason why I was wandering the streets. It was pointless to try to explain anything to him though when he was in one of these moods. I also didn't want to waste my breath. I was almost home and didn't feel like repeating myself two more times to my parents.

"Sorry Allen, you just caught me on a bad night."

"Well then every other night must be a bad one for you! Honestly Evangaleine, if I were like any other cop we would be on the way to the station."

I sighed, after being repeated nearly one hundred times, threats tend to lose their edge.

"I just don't understand Evangeline, your sister was never this… difficult."

I could handle the whole full name deal, but comparing me to my goodie older sister? It was a new tactic for the old copper. It probably wouldn't have affected a normal kid, too bad I'm living with a family that I was adopted into for no apparent reason. It is this circumstance that makes me too sensitive for my own good.

My silence alerted him that I was upset, "Look Evang, you're not the worst I've seen… but you know the agreement we had."

My heat dropped to the pit of my stomach and my head snapped back to meet his gaze in the rear view mirror.

"But Allen, you can't tell my parents, not tonight! Give me just one more chance!" I pleaded pressing against the back of his chair as we pulled into the driveway to my house. I knew he would have to bring this up, but tonight of all nights? I wasn't in the mood.

"Please, I promise I'll never do this again, just don't tell my parents" I swear I sounded so convincing I should have won an Academy Award then and there. He wasn't convinced (that bastard) and walked by me straight to the door. I cursed to myself, I knew I should have gone for the tears.

I watched in inclusive horror as my mom opened the door and her half asleep face dropped into an unmistakable frown as she saw me next to Allen. I couldn't move under her barring gaze.

"Oh what now, Allen?" she groaned her palm covering most of her face. "Not your Spanish teacher's car again?"

I almost smiled at that but thought better of it. That particular incident had been at least two years ago, the spray paint hadn't even been _my_ idea, the eggs on the other hand… it wasn't the jackass didn't deserve it.

"I found her down the street partaking in some dubious acts, she's also out past curfew."

Dubious, really?

My mother looked from me to Allen then back at me, "Eva, I thought you were at the school dance?" she asked as she ushered me in.

"I was," I protested as I tried to make my escape past the both of them.

"Hold on," started Allen, "As you know Lora, we had this little agreement between us."

This just had to be the worst day of my life.

"If it is our last choice…?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"With all the felonies she's committed, you'd be lucky if any school would accept her."

I rolled my eyes, "Felonies? I'm clean, you've got nothing on me!"

"The way you are headed Evangeline, prison isn't that farfetched."

"Thank you Allen," my mother broke in between us possibly preventing a future offence as she opened the door signally him to take his leave.

Allen quickly said goodnight before she shut the door on him and looked back to me as I was halfway up the stairs.

"What were you doing out there tonight, Eva?"

I hesitated to answer, "I was with Emma… and Collin, but I don't know they sorta left…"

I knew my pathetic mumbled excuse wouldn't please her.

"Must I call your father down here? if I do you know the sort of mood he'll be in—"

"Mom, shut up! I'm sorry, I was walking home—that's it—just then that asshole comes out of no—"

"Language Eva!" she exclaimed.

"You know he is! He wants me to leave! Everybody wants me to leave. I'm sick of everyone wishing I'd go away."

She was quiet for a moment, what could I do? This wasn't the first time we were at each other's throats going on about the never ending argument.

"He wants what's best for you, we all do."

"That's funny mom, I'm dying here. Like anyone in this place knows me!" I said with much sarcasm as if one couldn't tell.

"Did Collin hurt you tonight?" she asked sternly out of nowhere. I blinked a few times processing her words, she never liked Collin, my boyfriend of two months, he was much older and had more then a night of wrecking a teacher's car to brag about.

"No," I said quietly, "Not like _that_."

"You said that he left."

"Yeah, along with Emma," I said under my breath.

_Ugh, Emma,_ I heard myself groaning in my head, _you think someone is your best friend then they stab you in the back._

"She didn't…?"

"Oh gee I don't know mom, he's my boyfriend, she's my best friend, they left together in _her_ car and are probably going back to _her_ house. Try to connect the dots here."

So I've finally caught up to myself here. This whole awful affair stared at ten o'clock with homecoming and ended with me in tears screaming to my mother waking up the whole town at one am. With nothing more to say, I excused myself back to my room, unable to make it to the last stair before crying, melting into a mess of running eyeliner and miserably sore feet from walking near to a mile in brand new heels. Pathetic as this all may sound it gets worse, I opened my bedroom door to find a pile of cards on my cluttered desk. It had been my seventeenth birthday, but who really cares about those sorts of things after you turn around the age of ten?

I wiped my eyes removing half of my makeup on the back of my hand. They'd probably be filled with cheap marked down Hallmark cards, the type that doesn't even have a cheesy saying, only a picture of a cat in a party hat or something of similar pointlessness.

To continue my rambling, said card could possibly contain one of the following;

A check if someone happened to be feeling generous, a ten dollar bill, or if I was extra lucky, it would sing when I opened it.

I was not in the mood for this to say the least.

I was snapped from my thoughts with a knock on my door followed by my mom's head poking through.

"Did you find your birthday cards?" she asked.

I creased my brow, "Yeah… I don't feel like opening them yet though."

She nodded before looking down, something wasn't right, I could tell.

"That it? I want to sleep."

She looked to me as I turned to sit on my bed, my back turned to her.

"Eva… this may be a bit hard for you to hear but I need to tell you now, I put it off for too long as it is."

"What is it?" I asked not very interested as I turned on my television and began to flip through channels.

"Please, listen. This is very important, it's something me and Allen have come up with—"

"You can't actually take him seriously, mom, are you sure he's even a real cop?" I asked with a humorless laugh.

"No Evangeline, I do take him seriously. That's the problem with you—you don't take a single thing in your life seriously! Not school, not me or the police. You're not always right, in fact, this time you are dead wrong. I am taking Allen's advice. Come Monday, you'll be attending Ms Porter's Private School in Connecticut."

I choked on a deep breath I had sucked in too quickly, my mind was racing for a way out of it, "You can't just ship me off to some shit school! I'm not just some sort of mistake you can ignore!"

"I'm sorry that's how you see it Eva, nothing's changing my mind," with that she slipped back out of my room, without guilt, without a worry or a qualm as I stood and starred dumbfounded for the second time that night.

This wasn't right, it wasn't even moral. Sure I could understand her reasoning if I had actually done wrong, but that was just it, I _hadn't_. I was being punished for having the worst luck on this planet and I was about to lose everything because of it.

Tears where inevitable and I didn't bother hiding a cry of frustration as I threw my shoes across the room hitting the wall.

I knew it was completely childish but one thought just kept repeating in my mind; "No one cares, no one ever listened and now they're finally getting rid of me. Why did they wait so fucking long?"

I searched across the room for something else to toss when I saw the pile of cards. I grabbed them savagely and threw them against the wall across my room.

There was no use to this I finally realized collapsing onto my bed staring to the ceiling. I was about to pull my blankets completely over my head and stay there for the rest of fall to hibernate when a letter next to my head caught my attention. Not caring, I grabbed it readying another throw when I got a better look at it in the dim light my television casted.

This letter in particular looked so much older than the others, it was stained, the envelope looked like it had fallen in water at one point since the writing had been smudged.

Someone must have been in a festive mood, I thought to myself continuing to examine it. The oddest part of it was that there wasn't a single stamp on it, only my first name written neatly, and extravagantly, across the front. Not being able to make heads or tails of it, I decided on opening it, what could the harm be? Maybe it _was_ one of those singing cards…

I carefully ripped open the envelope sitting up in my bed, and even more carefully extracted the thin piece of parchment from inside. This was no Hallmark card, it wasn't one you could eve buy at a store, it was a hand written document, and to be honest, it looked as if it had been done perfectly with a quill. Finally, after a moment of staring in awe, I decided to actually read it, it wasn't that long.

_Dear Evangeline Katrina… _I squinted as hard as I could at the last name, _Hook_..?

_I am presently awaiting your arrival, your mother I trust has raised you to_… again I had to look harder to truly comprehend what I was reading… _raised you to assist me in the demise of Pan and Neverland._

I looked up from the letter. What that hell? Demise? Pan? Neverland? I laughed dryly out loud, I finally got the joke! So what is this some weird way to tell me I'm going to Disney World? I continued reading for the hell of it.

_Neverland is where I shall take you, your home awaits you! After years of sleepless nights and restless dreams, finally we shall kill Peter Pan together._ I cringed, this sure was a sick way of inviting someone to the happiest place on earth…

_You loving fa—_no it couldn't say that...

_Captain James Hook _

Captain… Hook?

I looked closer to the second to last line, it couldn't have said _father_, do they think I'm turning ten here? As if I would believe any of this childish scribble, but then agian it was... odd. I looked back to my name. Katrina? How many people could know that?

As I concentrated on the paper a shadow slowly moved over my source of light covering the letter in darkness. Slowly, I lifted my head and was met with a tall, dark figure standing there in the center of my room.

If only the letter had been a cheap Hallmark…


	3. Daylight

It was one of those bizarre moments when, even though it's so clearly happening, you can't seem to comprehend it, like it's not really reality. And still there I was and there he was—a demon in my view.

I flew back hitting the wall, my body sprawled across my bed.

"What the fu..."

Before I could say another word his hand—this stranger's hand—was over my mouth.

"Are you Evangeline Archer?"

I pushed him away and tried to run past him to my door, my heart beating in my head, too damn scared to even scream let alone think.

He pulled me back roughly by my arm. This is when I realized he was quiet strong, whoever the hell he was. We tangled with each other in the dark, I tried to look at his face but he would look away. I couldn't imagine who he could be or even how he managed to get into my room so quietly.

"Help! Let go! _HELP_ _ME_!" I screamed finally coming to some sort of sense. His grip was tight on my upper arm, so commanding, I sensed I was in great trouble. I kicked him swiftly with my knee where I imagined his crotch would be, he barley so much as flinched, he only pulled me closer to him before throwing me to my bed. Once again, his strength was immense, not that I'm that big of a woman, it was the just the effortlessness of his force. It terrified me knowing there was no escape as he stood in front of the door. His face was hidden by a shadow, come to think of it, that's what he looked like; a shadow, a dark, mysterious, quiet, shadow.

"Are you Evangeline Archer?" he asked again in a sort of deep voice. It sounded as though he was trying to make himself sound more menacing, I don't know why he was trying so hard, I was already scared to death.

"Yes! Yes okay, I'm Evangeline… who the _hell_ are you?"

He just looked past me out the window my small bed was placed in front of.

"What do you want? I don't have any money… please, I know a cop!"

"Stop talking!" he barked rudely.

"No!" I protested.

Just then my door knob began to rattle, "Eva, are you okay? Is someone in there?"

It was my mom, thank god. I was about to yell again when his gloved hand went to my mouth, I screamed through it. Suddenly I was being dragged by him as he slid open my window. What did he think he could make the jump? My room is on the second floor. I should know, I've tried to escape before. There's no easy way unless you had a ladder in your back pocket.

"What are you planning to do? There's no way out, my parents are right outside that door!" I said to him now that my mouth was free.

He looked to me, his eyes were so strange, I could just see them in the reflection of the dull light from the outside. I remember thinking they weren't human. Who the heck—what the heck—was this guy?

The thoughts were erased from my mind as he kicked the screen out form my window and leaned out.

"Hey!" I cried, "You can't do this, were on the second floor! Do you hear me when I talk to you? If you jump you'll kill us both!" he continued to search out the window seeming to ignore me as he held onto my waist.

Where had my mom gone? I don't remember locking my door, could he have locked my door? My head was dizzy from all of these questions and I don't think it had caught up with the present situation yet. Maybe some asshole had slipped something in my drink at the dance and this was all just some trippy hallucination. I looked back out the window as the breeze blew my hair back and the stranger gripped my waist tighter. If this as just a hallucination, it was a damn realistic one.

As these thoughts raced through my mind, one directly following the next, my captor leaned further out the window and waved his arm. I stared to him for a moment, could he be waving down a car? I looked back out the window and the sight nearly was enough to send me to my death falling to the ground below. There, clear as ever, was a ship in the night… only my back yard wasn't an ocean and this wasn't some weird nightmare. It all hit me at once—this was real and I was being kidnapped.

I began to try to slide out of his arms, kicking, or pushing him away as much as possible to no avail. He threw me over his shoulder only to make me blind to the situation. He was wearing something like a long leather coat I guessed; it was too thick for me to scratch him and I was too weak to cause any harm but I didn't relent fomr kicking and screaming for help, why wasn't anyone coming?

"Stop kicking, girl," he hissed over his shoulder, "If I drop you this night shall be your last."

My fighting quickly subsided as suddenly I found myself hanging onto him as he held me out the window. I believed I was passed to another person on the ship but before I could comprehend the situation I was on a hard wooden floor after falling out of the someone's hands.

"God damnit!" cursed a deep voice.

"Did she give you much trouble?" asked another equally unfamiliar voice.

I looked up to see figures crowded over me, it was too dark to make out their faces but I knew I never met these people before.

I tried to get up but only tripped on my dress I had still been wearing and cowered at their feet searching their features. Looking from one large shadow to the next, I felt their eyes practically piecing my body as they stared me down. Never have I felt my heart race so fast. I thought for sure it would just give out if I took another breathe.

I sneered pulling my knees to my chest, "Who are all of you?" I cried not nearly as commanding as I had wished it to have been. To my question the men laughed in a vulgar way, not understanding I only pleaded louder to them. "Please! You can't do this!"

"Sorry, lass! You're comin' with us now!" said one without a hint of remorse.

"No!" I gasped swatting away hands that went to touch me. I clutched my own knees tighter as my meek attempts at self defence were ignored.

The sounds of them snickering and whispering filled the air around me to the point where I thought I would suffocate. Why were they all so damned interested in me, it was as though they were all eager to feel my face or get a glimpse of my pathetic body hiding in their shadows.

Just when it all became too much a voice broke the chilled air, "Silence!" it commanded with a harsh yell "Get back, away from her!" he continued pushing by them like they meant nothing to him. The men immediately dispersed from around me and I found myself under the cast of only a single shadow now. I knew it was him, that awful demon who had kidnapped me. I slowly looked up.

"Take me home… I'm scared, please! What do you even want with me?"

His eyes—those twisted black dots he bore, coldly stared down to me as the others stood in silence.

"Evangeline Hook," he finally began, "You are now under the authority of the great Captain himself. You will not dispute said authority or question the orders that you are given, do you understand? I know how your sort of people are so easily confused."

He ended with a humorless laugh, his words barley connecting with me.

"But I said I—"

"And you are not to speak," he interrupted rudely.

I choked out a laugh, "Excuse me, you have no right, and I don't care who the hell you are, no one tells _me_ what I should do."

I heard the crew exchange whispers as the man who stared down to me face was unchanging.

"You are under the flag of Captain James Hook, and you will follow the directions he has presented to me to tell you."

I frowned, "What do you mean James Hook? I thought that—"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed me by my wrist pulling me to my feet.

"Why won't you answer a single one of my questions?" I asked as he pulled me along behind him.

"Because, Miss Hook, _he_ told me to tell you nothing," he said with a glance back form over his shoulder, his dark features twisted in a disgusted frown.

"Stop calling me that! My name's Eva!" before I could spit another word he threw me into a dark room and locked the door slamming it in my face. "Eva Archer!" I cried to the closed door pounding on it before collapsing to the ground in a frustrated wreck.

Well, at least they don't want to kill me. I mean wouldn't they have done that already? I searched the small, empty room, it was too dark to see in detail but I could tell it was pretty empty. That jerk had thrown me in nothing more than an old closet. I have many pet peeves, being ignored was high on the list… I'm pretty sure after this I'll add being kidnapped on there too.

Finally, tears began to fall freely from my eyes. What if I were never to see my family again? Of course I didn't meant to yell at my mother… or my father… or my sister, or anyone else for that matter, but who would ever imagine maybe that last fight will be the final words you'll ever share with that person? And sure, maybe since I was adopted I was never a blood related to them but nonetheless I loved them. Some things shouldn't be siad, and I've said them all, thought them all, screamed them all.

_Still, maybe now they'll worry less, they still have 'the smart one' left don't they?_ The wicked thought teased my brain.

I wasn't like my sister in the least, starting with looks. She was blonde, tall, a face to rival any model to walk a runway, and I was just… me. Not exactly runway material. I was told eithere my mother or father were black or fairly dark skinned since I was rather tan. The other one of my parents were either German or Italian to account for my dark hair.

Regardless, this explanation did not stop the nagging question I must have been asked nearly one thousand times; "What _are_ you?"

Would human answer that question for you?

Of course that never worked.

I was too pale to be black and too dark to be white. Not to mention a head of thick black curls that only made matters exceedingly worse matched with green eyes that typically confused people. Now, I'm not all together complaining here, I'm gald I'm exotic looking. I would be so bored with pale skin and hair.

The rest of me was average. I was just over five feet and couldn't pass one ten in weight. I dressed the way I wanted never glancing twice at Vogue. Right about now I wished I had slipped into my worn in pair of jeans before being rushed out the window, this cheap, itchy dress was going to get old fast.

I hit my head against the door I leaned on hoping to annoy anyone who could hear it.

My mind was still racing, predicting what events may come, silently praying that they didn't. For the first time ever I wished I was back in the prison of writing, math, and detention. My high school was the sort that would make private or home schooled kids blush—not that we were proud of that or anything. This was supposed to be the year of blow out parties, of drunken nights spent sneaking into the local bar. For skipping class to go out back and try to get in one cigarette before school security caught you. In those classes I passed with flying colors, I believe I even took each one in accelerated. But English or Algebra? Well I was never that book smart anyway. School was just hard for me, I wanted to do well, I even tried once or twice, but when report cards came so did the inevitable failure. What the point of trying if every time you do someone's always there to say that they did better than you? It would be cliché to say I got involved with the wrong crowd and surrounded myself with bad people. I became friends with the kids who accepted me, I didn't care what they did or what others thought of us, together we were our own. Getting kicked out of class, or getting in a fight, was just another day. You always got to watch after your own.

I was constantly being reminded of my future. To be blunt, I didn't see myself living that long to make it to college. I had a part time job to pay for my car but besides that work was the last thing on my mind. I tried to think about it as least as I could, my friends couldn't wait to leave that town though, I never understood that. That town was my home, where I felt safe. The place where getting caught by the cops wasn't that bad when it was probably your uncle anyway. Where drugs came cheap and where home and food were free. My parents for sure wouldn't spend a dime to put me through college; they'd already spent it all on _her._ She was going to Yale after all, like that was so special or something.

I drove myself crazy in that dark room, I felt sick to my stomach, scared shitless, my head pounding inside my skull. Why were they making me wait so damn long?

Out of anxiety and boredom I pulled out my lighter and began to turn it on and off. The flame dancing in the dark for a brief moment before flickering back into it's home. I continued this for a minute until another light source flittered through the room. Like the sunrise it slowly filled the entire closet, creeping across the floor and up the walls until it engulfed the whole area as if it where daylight outside. I put the cap back on the lighter and tried to peek through the door crack. It was too bright to make out anything, I had to pull back even more baffled than before.

Daylight? Could we have traveled anywhere that fast where it could be light? Was I really questioning this when traveling in an apparent magical, flying ship?

A few moments passed as I could hear a commotion outside, men running about. Possibly that dark, tall, boy yelling commands. Then, after a few more moments, there was the call of birds and a great splash of water as the ship rocked and threw me to my feet crashing into a mop and wooden bucket in the corner.

As I lay there, the door finally opened revealing two unfamiliar silhouettes.

"Ready to meet the good Captain?" asked one in a rough voice before both reached for me grabbing my arms pulling me out of the closet.

Apparently it was a rhetorical question.


	4. Reunited

**Thanks for reading/reviewing :)**

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The sunlight was an obnoxiously bright dagger to my eyes. A constant, jarring reminder of the unknown that made me all the more uneasy.

The men holding my arms dragged me onto the deck. I tried to twist out of their grip but it only became tighter. The fight only stopped when suddenly they pushed me forward to the back of a man I had not seen before, but then again, everything looked different in the daylight. I quickly tried to back away from this man but the others held me in place to face him as he slowly turned around.

"Here she is Cap'n! Fresh from her ivory tower we've gone and plucked her from," said the man eager to please.

"Yeah, pretty as her mother, in't she?" asked the other.

The man, who had apparently been talking to someone, turned to me with all the wonder of a little boy on Christmas morning.

I looked up, he was remarkably tall. The sun was set just behind him making anything in front of me difficult to see.

"Evangeline… my daughter…"

I shielded my eyes, this man, why did he remind me of someone?

He reached out a hand and caressed my cheek. I pulled away just as soon as his touch reached me. He frowned to my reaction then looked to the men holding me back.

"This is how you treat her? After seventeen years of waiting you drag her about my ship like she were the enemy himself? Release her from your ruthless grasp this instant!"

I was mistaken in thinking that the other man was in charge, _this _was obviously the Captain. When he gave a command with that rough and weathered voice of his, people listened and hauled some ass.

They let me free and I would have made a run for it if the man standing before wasn't staring me down and claiming to be my long lost father. That made things much different.

"Your name?" he asked as casual as ever.

What answer should I give? Would he murder me if I didn't answer correctly? What was the correct answer anyway? I'll just give my nickname, no harm in that.

"Eva," I said just above a whisper not looking to his face.

"And your last name?"

This time I looked up to him. I was confused over as something as simple as my last name, unbelievable as it were. But, to be honest, my brain wasn't with me at the moment. I was in a survival mode; make up anything to get out of here, to stop these blistering stares and odd caresses.

"Your last name Evangeline?" he asked again more impatient.

I shook my head, "I don't know," I confessed thinking to myself all the while that of course I knew. My last name was Archer, maybe it was of English decent or something like that. I glanced to his hand and my eyes widened. There, sparkling in the sunlight, was a metal hook in place where his right hand should have been. He saw me staring and used _it_ to lift my face up to his by my chin.

"You must forget that name now, it no longer has a meaning to you. Your last name is one to be proud of, one others will fear and envy," here he began to circle me seeming to gloat more to his bored looking crew. "A name that has stood and fought the war we all fight to this day! A name that will be remembered far after we are all gone, and far after even are children are gone!" He turned back to me leaning closer to my face, and lord, what a menacing face he had.

He wasn't elderly but he was old with the skin of a man who has sailed at sea for all of eternity it seemed. His eyes were as mine, green, as well as his long black curls that fell over his shoulders and partially down his back. If I could explain this man in word it would have to be dead. Even though he was very much alive he seemed to have all the essence of a lanky skeleton in a trench cost and wide rimmed feathered hat.

"Soon enough this name will become synonymous with Neverland, and Peter Pan will be a lost memory!" to this statement the crew cheered for all they were worth. I stood silent looking around the deck. What sort of hot mess have I walked into? What the hell was this man preaching on about and how could these men get so excited about something they seemingly had no part in?

"Now Evangeline," he said looking to me again, his hands placed together "will you share with us all your prized last name?"

"Wait…" I began clearing my head, "Wait a minute here. Can someone please share with me what the _fuck_ is going on?"

The Captain was displeased to say the least.

"I mean these pirates, or whatever the hell you are, kidnap me! Take me from my room, from my house… on my birthday!" I added glancing around to the men who seemed to be shocked that I actually had a voice. "You take me in the middle of night, throw me in a damn closet and lock the door! On top of all that I get no explanation but a measly note that makes no sense at all! Can someone at least tell me where in the hell I am?"

There was silence as I looked back to the Captain. He was examining his Hook trying to cover his anger, though it was apparent to me the answer I had given him was not the one he had been waiting seventeen years for.

"You say… you do not know where you are, Evangeline?" he asked slowly looking up to me, the whole crew was at atteniton this time.

I shook my head sternly, "I was told nothing, no."

I saw Hook glance to someone off to the side then back to me, "You don't even have a guess… perhaps?"

Where was he getting with this, was I supposed to know? Like I would remember my 'real' home and go running into his arms. I looked around, the place was beautiful. We were in the middle of a bay with prefect aqua water and cloudless sky. The air was sweet, clean, and warm, but not hot. I thought of the tropics for a moment but that made no sense, then again I had arrived here on a flying ship. Auguring the logical seemed meaningless at this point.

"I don't have a clue, Aruba?" I guessed to get laughs and whispers from the men and again a disappointed stare from the Captain.

"No," he said flatly.

"Well where then?"

He leaned closer to me, a wicked grin spread over his tired features, "You're in Neverland, Evangeline."

My first reaction was only to laugh, "I'm not a child anymore, I stopped listening to kid stories a long time ago, good try though."

He looked to me before his face twisted into an awful frown and he was no longer able to contain his rage, "Don't toy with me, girl! We've awaited your arrival for near of two decades now! You _are _in Neverland and your name _is _Hook."

I noticed it was very challenging to argue a point this man makes. Between the his hooked hand he waved for emphasis and his deep, grainy, deafening, voice, he could stop the most logical debate dead in its tracks simply by commanding people to see it his way and only his way.

Yet, I was baffled, beyond reasoning. If this was my father then why wasn't I brought up here? Where was my mother? Why and how was I adopted? The questions began to swirl around my head again just as Hook hastily took me by the arm and dragged me away from the others. He ordered for one of his men to follow him by a wave of his hand before commanding the others to get back to work with the days tasks.

* * *

Hook took me into his spacey quarters and found himself a seat at his desk. I turned to see the door close and that strange dark man standing in front of it guarding the only way out.

"Well, well, well," began the Captain removing his hat upon the table and reclining back into his chair, "it appears we have much to catch up on, my dear."

I stood in between the two lost for words. What did they want me to say anyway? Were they finally going to answer my questions? I decided I wasn't going to wait.

"I want my questions answered, now."

Hook nodded, "All in good time, why not take a seat, Eva as you liked to be called?"

I nodded and sat down in a chair in front of his desk getting a better glance around the room. It had a thrifty feel to it. Maps were spread along the walls and there was a large globe near his desk. I wondered what world it went to.

"We all understand how hard this all must be for you. Pulled away from the people that have raised you all your life, learning it all to be a lie," he said knowing it would raise my attention, it did.

"Lie?"

"Oh yes, your true family, your own mother, the reasons why you were put up for adoption. I'm certain they made up stories to mask the unsightly aspects of it all."

"I don't understand."

"Allow me to tell you the truth then, it should answer all of your questions in time."

I nodded thankful he decided to clear things up.

"Seventeen years past, the night you were born, your mother and I made a plan and chose your grand destiny... or rather a grand destiny chose you, Evangeline."

I shifted uncomfortably in the chair, "And what destiny is that?"

"The demise of this Neverland, of this ineffectual magic, of Pan or however you so wish to word it. Because of you, we all will be able to rest in peace finally ridded of this madness."

"Rest in peace? You want to die?"

"No, I want respite. For far too long I've been on this never ending chase. With Neverland ageing and the fire dying we all have began to grow older as well."

I felt bad for him, I couldn't help it. He wasn't terribly old but I understood how tired of it all he must be. Maybe he was serving his eternity in hell and this all was his punishment. Then what was I doing stuck in it too?

"Before I had a plan to carry on the Hook name with a son, to my dismay your mother was incapable. The only luck we had was with you. I knew you wouldn't take the place of a young, strong, and willing man but I had decided that there was more than one way to go about killing Pan. Once Peter is dead this old Neverland will follow. It is the way of things and as is the winds and tide. When Pan dies darkness will be restored and the old world I once knew will follow."

"And what was the other way to restore… is there one besides killing?"

Hook smiled, "There is another, but I must warn it will be twice as challenging, a task I knew only a daughter of mine could take on. The other way is to have Peter either decide to leave Neverland for good and grow up or… to have him, well to put upon delicate ears, how would you describe it Don?" he asked the man leaning against the door. Now knowing his name I looked back to him.

He made a sly smirk lighting his dark features for a moment, "Uh, going all the way? Is that right Captian?"

My eyebrows shot to my forehead as his strange eye met mine.

"Yes I think that'll about do it," Hook injected noticing my shock.

I looked back to the captain, "No. No! You are certifiable if you think that I am going to do _that_ with _him_… ever! Actually, with anyone here against my own will for that matter. Because that would be rape. No thank you to the rape!"

"Think of it more as an obligation, Eva. You were born to do this, you don't have a choice. All you have to do is make him fall in love, he hasn't come across a girl since Jane and we all doubt he remembers her, but we are quite certain he does recall another particular girl."

"Wendy," I answered, "everyone knows about this, is it even… real?"

"As real as you and me, for the most part anyway. You see stories, get twisted over the years and lose their value but I can promise you the tale of Peter and Wendy is as timeless and honest as the day it was told."

"What are you getting at? If all that is true Peter only loves one girl and I'm not—"

"We know you're not Wendy, I know that, you know that, my men know that, but guess who doesn't know that?"

"So you want me to lead him on, outright lie, and use him all for your own benefits?" I inquired pointing an opposing finger to Hook.

"Not for my own benefits no! For all of Neverland! For all of us who are tired of living this way! This is not the fairytale that was once read to you, that was the outright lie. Neverland is much different now. You don't need to tell him you're Wendy, you just need to act like her."

"Whatever!" I cried getting up from my seat covering my ears trying to get my head to stop spinning. "How do you expect someone like me to pass off even acting like someone liker her?"

"It's been years since he's seen her, if you even spark some sort of memory of her you can pass it off. Now sit back down, we're not done here yet."

I collapsed back into the seat crossing my arms, "I can't do this, I can't even make a young boy fall in love with me."

"He's not as young as you may recall as I am not either. It is like I have stated before; much has changed."

"Well he's obviously not a man either."

"No, he's still just as resilient as the day he cut off my hand…"

We were quiet for a moment as I sat back in the chair pouting and he examined his Hook, I didn't bother looking back to that Don guy.

"If you are still wondering, your mother was killed in a fire back in England where you are from. She was to raise you there telling you stories of Pan and I and could have done a wonderful job with all of it, if it weren't for that fire that is."

"She sacrificed herself that night and saved your own, don't you think you should justify her death in some way?"

For some reason his words moved me and I couldn't hold back tears from streaking my face I quickly wiped away.

"How?" I asked not looking to him.

"Why by pursuing the dreams she wanted you to follow. You do want to justify her death don't you?"

"Maybe it was all just an accident, I mean how do you even know you have the right girl?"

He gave me a smile as if it was a joke.

"What makes you think this was some sort of mishap? Why aren't you questioning your mother who was never there, your sister who never cared? Your father who would rather drink away the weekend then spend it with his family? A life that will accumulate to nothing but a trip to a bordering school and nights spent being left behind by whom you call your friends. Is that what you truly want?"

This whole spiel got me to sit up in my chair, "How do you know all of that?"

"What? Did you expect I just sat here for seventeen years leaving my only daughter alone with strangers? We have been watching over you."

Ignoring how deeply disturbing that had sounded I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms just thinking. I wondered if my parents were looking for me, wondered if I could find a way out of this and began to question if any of it would make a difference. The Captain was right, why did I want to leave so bad? What was waiting for me back home? Here I was practically royalty, but then again if I was to stay what would be come of me?

"So let's say I kill Pan and Neverland, what will happen to me?"

"You can become part of my crew, we'll start a new Neverland, all of this will belong to us."

"But without the magic won't you die?"

Hook laughed dryly, "I died long ago, my dear."

I grimaced as he stretched out a hand to me.

"What do you say we shake on it then?"

I hesitated once again staring to his boney hand.

"Look, lass, you owe it to me, to all of us!"

"I owe you nothing! This is my choice, that family raised me my whole life!" I spat standing up turning my back to him.

"I understand how you feel," he continued, "No one else understands the urges us Pirates have. That is what you are Evangeline, the daughter of the most ruthless pirate that ever was." I turned to him as he had stood from his seat and gazed down to me. "You see we are just different, of course you wouldn't fit in with _those_ normal people."

"And I never have…" I said beginning to calm down.

"You see, you'll fit in perfectly with us here in Neverland. We never listen to others, we do what we think is right. There are no laws, no repercussions for ones actions. Think of the freedom, to stay young and beautiful forever. Or, you could go back to the same old life of heartache and mortal worries. Is there even really a decision to make?"

"Yes," I quickly retorted, there was a huge decision to make and a heavy one at that. If I said no what was I to lose, but if I said yes, well that would be completely different.

I've heard this story before, who hasn't really? Everyone wants to go to Neverland and meet Peter Pan himself, but who in this screwed up world actually wants to _kill_ him? I shook myself form the thought. That is not a fairytale this is reality. Captain Hook is my father. Perhaps I do owe it to him… to my birth mother.

"This is who you are, my daughter, one of us."

I still hesitated to shake his hand. If I was one of them did that make me evil? So what if I disobeyed my mother, never took the cops seriously or school for that matter. I wasn't evil! As I looked to his hand I questioned all I stood for because it was all about to change.

"I'll do it," I said with assurance, the room seemed to breathe again. Hook smiled to me as Don leaned his head back looking to the cieling.


	5. Getting to Know You

Hook laughed triumphantly. I personally thought it was an odd time to laugh. I couldn't think of worse timing actually.

"You'll do it! I knew you wouldn't let us down!"

I forced a smile, "Yeah… I always wanted to be a pirate anyway..." I lied to myself.

Then he looked to me with all seriousness, "But it will be a challenge, a_ risk_."

He pointed his hook to me as the light reflected off of it into my face.

"I… understand," I said slowly, "but what's the big challenge? I've been around young boys before and believe me," I said with a small laugh, "there not the hardest to pull one over on."

"He is not a boy, Eva!" Hook cried. "He's a useless young man, ageless I'd say. The problem is he's not only getting stronger and older but smarter! I'm afraid it's the opposite for me, I'm growing weaker, slower… he's in his prime and he knows it."

"It doesn't matter, a boy's a boy, I'm pretty sure they're the same anywhere you'd go," I injected looking off to the side, Hook sighed.

"Well, I'm glad you don't feel… threatened."

I looked to him, "And why would I feel threatened?"

He smiled to me then glancing to the shadow of a man that leaned casually in the door frame.

"Ahh Don, why don't you come over here?"

"You really hate answering questions don't you?" I mumbled shifting in my chair.

"Eva," said Hook, "This is, well, my answer to a lost boy," he said of the tall young man that stood before me.

"His name is Don, he will be your guide and guardian. I have a feeling you two will get along splendidly."

I looked up his slim body starting with worn black leather boots and finishing with a pale face that glared to me with a devious smirk.

He bowed to me before taking my hand, "Pleasure to meet you, Evangeline Hook."

I watched as he laid a gentle kiss upon my hand and looked up to me. I would have said something back or smiled at least if it weren't for _those_ eyes. This man envisioned everything dark and dim, save for a pair of the oddest eyes I'd ever seen. They where ice blue, practically white, with dark pupils - only dots in the center. I could only stare.

_What a freak show._

Hook rose from his seat as Don took a few steps away from me.

"I will leave the two of you to get better acquainted," he looked to Don sternly, "Do not let her roam out on deck, if Peter sees her the plan will be ruined and I'll have your head for it."

Don saluted his captain before Hook swiftly left the room.

I leaned back into the chair, allowing the discussion of the previous few minutes to sink in.

Kill a man, become a pirate, end the magic of Neverland, forget my old life, just a few hours ago my biggest worry was a ride home after the homecoming dance.

I glanced to Don who had been starring at me, "Yeah?" I asked, "Do you have something you would like to tell me?"

"You may speak to Hook and Pan in that manner Miss Hook, but the attitude you seem so desperate to present will not work with me."

_Hmmm, prick._

"Sorry but what is your job again? Are you like Hook's official ass kisser or something?" I asked getting up to stretch my legs and check out the room a bit.

"Lost boy leader, actually."

I pulled a face as my back was turned to him, "How… cute. I guess I am in Neverland after all."

I began to toy with an old compass I found on Hook's desk.

"Cute is not exactly the most suitable word…"

"You do dress up like animals don't you?" I asked smiling knowing it would bother him. I shook the compass just as he snapped it shut and ripped it out of my hands placing it neatly back on the table.

"No," he whispered in a mock smile.

"Oh."

"I make the plans, I set the battles. I am the man in the front line. Since I've arrived in this dismal world Pan has been, let's say… careful."

I had moved on to a grand picture hanging on the wall of a Victorian dressed woman.

"And when was that, when did you arrive here?"I asked curious.

"Why?" his answer sounded as though he was offended.

"Well didn't Hook say we should get to know each other, we should get to know each other, right?" I was half lost in the eyes of the woman in the picture, she had long black hiar and was of African descent I guessed.

"I have told you all you need to know Miss Hook."

"What? Your name and your kiss ass job, isn't there more to your story then that?"

"I suppose I have left out something rather important…"

I continued studying the picture of the woman and reached out a hand to touch it, "Oh yeah? What's that?"

Suddenly, startlingly, he was at me side with a tight hold on my wrist pulling my hand away from the picture.

"I have no patience for spoiled, petty little girls who think everything is there's to grab."

I laughed humorlessly and turned to him, "So you think you know me already, hmm?"

"No, I_ know_ I know you. I've known you your whole life. You're the girl who thinks the world is against her, the girl who could have it all but settles for nothing. The girl who complains of the plight she set for herself. I know you very well, _kid_."

He released my sore wrist, "Don't test me. You don't know a thing about me, Don."

"Now that's funny… I'd say _cute_ even."

"Fuck you," I cursed under me breathe.

I flinched as he swiftly raised his hand ready to come down hard against my face and raised my arms in self defense. He stopped himself and stared to me.

"Watch your mouth, girl. I won't catch myself next time, no matter whose daughter you are you will show me respect first."

I lowered my arms and found it hard to look to his face again.

He gazed past me to the picture I had been so enchanted by.

"You're quite a lady, Miss Hook."

I looked up to him questioningly and he looked back to the picture behind me seeming to compare me with her.

"Come on _kid_, follow me."

I looked back to the picture then to Don who was halfway out the door.

"Hey, wait! I thought I couldn't go on deck."

"We aren't going on deck now come on!"

"Where then?" I asked catching up to him as he led me down some steps.

"Just follow me, _kid_."

"Stop calling me that or I swear…"

He smiled as we traveled below deck.

* * *

"What in the hell is _that_?" I cried with a grimace as he pulled out a hideous dress from a trunk.

He glanced to me with a tested look, "A dress. You will wear it when you meet Pan, it will remind him of older times, back when he met that Wendy girl."

"When did she live, fugly B.C?"

"You will wear it, and you'll be changing the way you speak as well. Cut out the cursing, slang, innuendo, and keep the insults to a minimum. Perhaps then we'll have some sort of a chance."

"Gee, maybe if I just sit and smile with my legs crossed he'll be thrown into a hopeless passion that can only be resolved with intense, animalistic… cuddling. Oh rapture," I siad with the most sarcasm I could muster.

Don smirked, "You think you're rather funny don't you?"

"Hilarious," I said dryly looking over the hideous gown.

He raised a brow to me before shoving the dress to my chest, "Well save it for Pan, that lucky son of a bitch."

I couldn't help but smile to his obvious sarcasm as I looked over the dress in my hands. It was long, heavy, white and ruffled and I couldn't imagine anyone wearing it in public even a hundred years ago.

"Is this a nightgown?"

He nodded, "of course, what else would a Victorian woman wear to sleep?"

"Something more comfortable than this frilly thing, don't you have a pair of jeans in there?" I asked of the large elegant trunk he stood in front of that seemed to have been residing in this oversized closet of a room for eternity. It looked antique but seemed in perfect condition, does everything stay timeless hear as if captured in an old photograph?

"This trunk is all for you, it was set up by your mother for when you would arrive back home. I'm sure she left quite a few interesting items behind."

I looked into the trunk overwhelmed by the trinkets it kept. I spotted a doll, a blanket, a more proper dress, shoes, a hair brush, all sorts of jewelry, books, even sea shells, I could go on.

I reached for a perfume bottle when Don abruptly shut the trunk.

"Dress first, kid."

I narrowed my eyes to him, "I told you to shut up with that."

"When you have earned respect perhaps I will show some to you. For now, you're a kid."

I folded my arms holding the dress, "Well where shall I change Mr… Don? Maybe in front of the crew, I mean you all have been so kind to me after all, with the kidnapping and stuff… "

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated," he said under his breath lifting the trunk to place it back under its tarp in the corner.

"Then what, you expect me to be grateful or something?"

"Well, when a group of men risk their skins to save a young damsel from a life of normality, one does expect some degree of appreciation."

"Sorry if I haven't yet thrown myself at any of you yet."

"Once again with the sarcasm, is this how all young ladies talk where you come from?"

He was looking down at me again. I felt like some sort of rodent being examined by a mad scientist trying to decide if he should use me in his experiment or move on to something more important to do.

"Only the ones who realized it's a waste of time to care what others think, I say what I think."

"So that's why everything you say is so stupid?"

I gawked to him. What could have made this man so negative, so cold? Maybe years of confinement on an old ship chasing a boy that will never die, jumping to Hook's every order. A lack of female conpanionship? I knew I had much to learn of this Don character.

"So… change!" he said snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Aren't going to leave first?" I inquired with a hand on my hip.

A sly smirk crept upon his features, "I can't leave you alone, Captain's orders."

"Look I don't care if don't have any respect for me, I don't have any for you. I actually think I hate you and I've known you for almost ten minutes now. Still, there are some things that cross the line, so get the fu—I mean… please leave. Please."

He was still smiling down to me, "How about you do as I say and have a bit of faith in me? I'll be over here by the door with my back turned."

I looked to him with distrust.

"I promise I won't peek."

"You better not," I mumbled as he walked to the door.

Waiting until he was facing the door with his back to me I felt it safe to slip out of my dress.

"After this I'll introduce you to the boys."

"Boys?" I asked fumbling with finding an entrance into the gown.

"The lost boys, our lost boys that is. There's Loxley and Jacobe, Jack, and DaVinci…"

I smiled to myself as I slipped on the first layer of the dress, "What about the other lost boys, you know like the ones in the story. Are they still around?"

"As stuck as Pan I'm afraid…" he cleared his throat as his mood shifted, "You know, lass, you will become one of us tonight. Every man must be sworn in as one of us or you'll find yourself just as soon at the wrong side of the plank. You see if you're not a part of us, you're one of them."

I toyed with lacing up the gown that would go before the robe, "Well, how do you exactly go about being sworn in? Don't tell me there's like some weird blood bond thing."

"You'll see tonight," was all he would reveal.

I slipped into the heavy rob that draped down to the floor and had bell sleeves that ended at the elbows. I hastily tied it in the front and pulled off the uncomfortable gold hoops I had been wearing.

"Alright, done."

He turned and looked to me, his jaw stiffened and he looked away with a small nod, "You look just like… I mean, you look good."

I would have said something bitchy back but I had been too flattered

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"Would you liked to see for yourself?" he asked before pulling a dusty tarp off of a long mirror in the corner.

I walked over to where he was and studied the reflection. I looked ridiculous, what were these idiots trying to pull off? Just because I looked like the queen of England didn't mean I was suddenly going to act like her. I didn't show my displeasure, I tried to smile.

"Are there shoes?" I inquired.

He looked away from the reflection and back to me, "Yes, of course, there in the trunk. Why don't you look as I run and get the boys?"

"Wait… why is it you can leave the room for that but not for when I was changing—"

"Don't leave this room," he said sternly not hearing a word of my own before he left me completely alone.

The ship creaked and rocked as I began to dig through the cluttered trunk.

Various items were strewn about me and the trunk was nearly empty, _where_ _the hell were these shoes_?

I sat back looking around me to see the piles of trinkets I had formed, some of the items seemed so travail to save. For example, there was an empty bottle of wine and various amounts of feathers. Of course my true mother would be a hoarder.

Looking back in the trunk there was only one final item left; a light purple gown. Pulling it out of the trunk it revealed a pair of high, white, lace up boots, the very last thing left behind… or so I thought.

I looked behind the dress to the bottom of the trunk, something didn't seem right. It appeared as though someone had placed a board to fit the bottom, was it to hide something? I reached to lift it up when the door slammed open causing me nearly to jump out of my skin.

"Davinchi you dumb dago, you're s'pposed to knock first. She _is_ a lady after all!" cried a boy's voice I didn't recognize. I quickly began to stuff the junk back in the trunk with my shoes in hand.

"Sorry Jacobe, I forgot how you're the gentleman of Neverland," said Davinchi with sarcasm and a thick Italian accent I noted.

"What'd you do? Empty the whole thing?" asked Don now at my side.

"I'm sorry my mother decided to stuff the only pair of shoes under everything in the entire crate. They don't even look comfortable," I said of the boots before I attempted to put them on.

"Kid," he announced as I was crouched over on the ground, "allow me to introduce you to the men."

"Not my name," I warned tugging on his coat.

"Sorry, meet Miss Eva Hook boys!"

They looked down to me as they stood in row, arms crossed and bored looking. I had just tugged on the first shoe and looked up to meekly smile to them, "Hello."

"Ciao," said the Italian young man unenthusiastically.

"Can we go now?" asked another boy to Don.

"No," he answered sternly, "none of you are leaving until we all get to know one another.

"Jacobe, we'll start with you," the boy jumped to hear his name, I partly looked up to him as I continued lacing the tall boots.

"Jacobe is the youngest, he's our best shot with a gun."

"Best shot with any gun," added the teenage boy. He appeared to be older than me but I found nearly impossible to really place any of the men in an age group. They all seemed to either be late teens or early twenties, except for Don who could have been older than any one of them.

I glanced back at the boy who stared down to me. He was dirty, with messy brown hair, he looked like any other boy in my school that had been left out in the wilderness for around three months.

"Then there's Loxley. His talent is in the bow and arrow, his skills are unmatched."

"How do you do, Miss?" he asked with a perfect English accent.

"Oh Loxley," I said with sudden realization of why the name sounded so familiar, "like Robin Hood of Loxley, good nickname! You see I knew this would be cute," I said with a pleased smile to Don who rolled his eyes.

Loxley was much more put together than the others. His hair was still a dirty blonde mess and he could definitely use a shower… _when was the next time I'd get a shower?_

"Introducing DaVinci," said Don gesturing to the next the tallest man in line.

The man took off his hat before bowing to me saying something quickly in Italian.

"Hmm, si si!" I said laughing as he took his hand in mine and kissed it, I caught the others in line rolling their eyes.

"DaVinci here is a master swords man—"

"Among other things," he added with wink.

DaVinci was definitely interesting but far from good looking. He had a large nose and long face, maybe after a haircut and shave…

"C'mon Casanova," said the next boy in line giving DaVinci a push.

"And then there's Jack," said Don.

The man looked down to me and nodded, "Hey."

"Hey," I said back before going back to lacing my shoes.

He was American like Jacobe, but there was something different about the last lost boy who stood in line.

"Jack the map maker, he uses the stars to guide us through the jungle at night and it is no exaggeration that at times we would be lost without him.

"These boys have been with us for years," continued the leader, "each one has earned his salt—"

"Unlike Pan's pussies…" mumbled Jacobe sourly. Don glanced to him harshly for interrupting but all the men seemed to share the same thought.

"We are _chivalrous_, Jacobe," said Don sternly to boy but speaking to all of us, "If Pan stabs us in between our shoulders we will still fight fair and to death so be it" he looked down to me, "we are not cowardly snakes."

Damn he took this seriously. What does Hook have against Pan anyway? Well I guess if a guy cut off my hand I's be pretty pissed too.

"What about you, Eva?" asked Jacobe, "tell us about yourself."

I stood up after finishing with the white boots, what was there to tell?

"I… I don't know what to say," I said thinking of how obscure the whole situation was, I was being treated like some alien from the future for Christ sake.

"Tell us about America," said DaVinci

I shrugged, "It's probably a lot different than any of you all remember."

"So tell us!" pleaded Jack.

I looked to him, great, I felt like the kid in class who had been spacing out before the teacher asked him a question.

"Well, it's… there's, uhh, cell phones?" saying the first thing that came to mind.

"What are those?" asked Jacobe enthusiastic.

"There… like small phones that you can take anywhere with you," I stammered.

"What's a phone?" asked DaVinci to have Jacobe slap him on the back of the head.

"You moron, there those talkin' things, go on Eva," he said looking back to me.

This was going nowhere. "Yeah there's just a lot of stuff like that—"

"What about the weapons?" asked Loxley excited, thankfully Don cut in before I could ramble any longer.

"Alright, alright, there's a reason we don't discuss the other world," he said silencing the room.

_There was?_ I wondered inwardly.

"Enough with the small talk, we need to plan—"

"But we've just been planning for nearly a year," injected DaVinci.

"Yeah," agreed Loxley, "where's the fun in just imagining hundreds of ways to kill a chap, I'd rather put these plans to the test," he said with a finger in the air.

"And we will soon enough," said Don beginning to pace around me, "with Miss Hook here things will begin to fall in place, we'll see Pan fall soon enough."

"Wait," I interrupted, "exactly how fast do you expect me to pull this scheme off?"

"Well how long to you recon it will take?" asked the irritated lost boy leader.

I thought for a moment, I wished to say something like years but I thought better of it, "I don't know, maybe weeks, I've never exaclty done anything like this before."

Immediately the room erupted in outrage, "We've only waited seventeen years!" protested DaVinci followed by the rest with similar outbursts only silenced by Don.

"Enough! Now, situations like this take time, weeks, months, who knows for certain. What we cannot do it rush this. One false move on our part and all these years of waiting, planning and preparing are over. We only get a single chance unless you would all care to wait another two decades, or longer, I suggest you stop complaining.

"If we succeed," he went on with a glance to me, "this will be the last plan we plot."

I felt the overwhelming feeling of yearning in the room. The boys wanted badly for this all to end, why, I couldn't tell just yet.

"My boys, Peter will die and no requiem will be sung."

* * *

Thank you readers for continuing your encouraging reviews, Peter should make his debut in the next installment of Never Bet the Devil Your Heart! :D

~Rose


	6. Destiny Denied

_A __requiem__? _I questioned to myself.

"A funeral song?" I asked to Don who nodded.

"No remorse will be shown to the one who put us through this hell for numerous years."

"Way to put it lightly," commented DaVinci.

"Yeah, ya left out the part of how God damned annoying the kid's been since the day we met him," said Jack.

"That's right, he's always showing off. So what, you can fly! Good for you!" added the youngest one, Jacobe.

I couldn't help but smile. I mean it was _the _Peter Pan these boys were complaining about. Frankly, I couldn't picture this all being real quite yet. I was still fully expecting to wake up at any random moment.

"You find it humorous, do you not lass?" asked Loxley.

I looked to him still smirking, "I'm sorry but it's hard not to."

"We'll see how much you'll be smirkin' when old Hook's handing you over to enemy himself tomorrow morning," mumbled Jacobe who was beginning to irk me.

Don gave the child a scolding glance and the boy shrugged, "I'm just sayin'! She don't know what we've been through, what this means to me."

I looked to him, his eyes shown with a desperateness I didn't know could exist. He was the youngest after all, this probably all effected him the most… poor kid.

"What it means to all of us," corrected Don, "you are not alone in this," he said placing a hand on his shoulder.

The next hour passed in planning. I learned little of my part in this grand plan that was designed to bring Pan to his knees. I thought it better the less I knew, I didn't want to worry too much about the next morning.

The boys had began to get to know me a bit more, as I began to warm to them. They were so normal, It was as if I was talking to my neighbor. They held no true hate in their hearts, they were more like a group of kids playing pretend. Maybe I was the one playing pretend.

I assumed it was night when Don finally decided it was time enough to begin the ceremony in which I'd be 'sworn in', as he put it.

He guided the group to below deck lighting a candle to lead the way. This area of the ship was truly vile, rats were seen scurrying by over foot and the air smelled musky as if there had not been a breeze of fresh to come through in years. Once Don lit a few candles about the room I could see it more in detail. It looked like the armory with a few canons and canon balls laying around. There were also crates and various boxes that accompanied the messy environment. I wondered for a moment if this place had been any neater when my mother was around to pick up after the entire crew.

Don pulled out a crate and tore the top open, "Only the finest for tonight!" he declared after pulling out a red bottle.

I smiled, so this is what he meant, getting hammered with a few rounds of wine. Maybe this'll be better than I thought.

He passed the bottle around the room as the boys began to share it. He brought another form the crate and took a long swig from it.

Don walked over to me after he was donw with the bottle in hand.

"This is not what I expected at all," I said pleased as he handed me the wine and I drank from it. "You see, this I can handle."

He watched as I drank from it, "Well I'm glad you're glad, kid."

I gave him a glance from the corner of my eye before leaning against him putting an arm around his shoulders, "Are you finally going to relax a bit?" I asked against the tense man.

He pulled away from me, "No," he said coldly before leaving my side.

_Hmm, he's still a prick._

If these boys were colorful before, they became amplified to a different level once the bottle being passed around had emptied. The room was alive with shouts of laughter and surprisingly, these guys really knew how to let loose. They lived by no rules, had no morals. Were they like me once? Plucked from their home and brought here to forget all they knew? I wondered if I would soon end up the same as them.

The drink they gave me was pretty strong. I didn't bother learning the name, I drank it in gulps. That spiked punch at the dance had only given my a buzz, I needed to become lost. Soon enough, I did.

I remember blurs moving across the room, one boy across from me telling a grand story. The room was dark as his voice became deeper, more menacing. There was singing, dancing, and there was Don watching it all from a distance. Suddenly someone grabbed me, pulling me up from the floor for a dance. I don't remember sitting down but now I was being dragged around the room spinning as everything was passing so fast. Twisted faces of laughter that only grew louder, I was laughing too, or was I? A boy gave more to me to drink and I didn't think twice before taking another couple of swigs before collapsing into his arms. I don't recall music but a melody filled my head.

"Do you need to sit down or sumethin' Eva?" asked a voice that echoed in my ears. I don't think I answered but once again I found myself on the floor. Don broke through the crowd of younger boys and looked down to me, I looked up to him then to the bottle in my hand.

"Whatcha putin this stuff?" I slurred.

He smirked, "You are a naive girl."

I wasn't sure how to take that but in my present state I laughed, "Naive? Hey man, at least I know how to have a good time, you, you're just soooo… boring!"

He rose an eyebrow still looking down to me, "You are foolish to take us all for decent men."

I stood up almost falling over, I met his face with my own, "If your plan was to take advantage of me, why not do it now? You sure talk a lot."

He pushed me back down to my seat on the ground. I fell over easy enough given I was too wasted to even walk in a strait line.

"Gee boss, is she even well enough to take the test?" asked Jacobe suddenly at my side.

"There's no other time, this will have to do."

I looked around, the room was no longer spinning and the boys were no longer celebrating, they looked in all seriousness as they stared down to me.

"So let it begin," said Don who disappeared from my view. The boys took a seat on the floor forming a circle with me at the end.

I was about to get up but Jacobe told me to sit back down, "He'll be back in a second, Eva, calm yourself."

"On every arrival of a new member," began Don entering our circle with something in his hand concealed by a rag, "there is a test we must issue. This is not a normal test of true of false, this is a test of destiny.

"It is fate that has brought you to our crew Eva Hook and fate will decide if you leave or stay."

"Are you sure the Cap'n is okay with this, sir?" asked Jack nervously.

"Hook is not apart of this!" he snapped quieting the boy, "I am in charge when it come to lost boys… or girls for that matter," he gave me another smirk as I was oblivious as to what he was talking about.

"But what if she-"

"I said I am in charge! If any of you rats decide to tell Hook I'll take you by the throat!"

The room was in complete silence once more.

"As I was saying, this test is one I leave to fate, she chooses if your meant for the life we lead or not."

"What sorta test is it, Don?" I asked.

He smiled, "Ahh, now there's a question I would be pleased to answer."

His hand moved to unveil what the rag had been covering, a shining pistol.

I looked to Don's eyes fear engulfing my own, "What kinda sick bastard are you? You can't _kill _me!"

"I am not going to kill you," he handed the gun to DaVinci, "as I said; I will be leaving that to fate."

The Italian boy spun the barrel as Don watched walking around the circle, "A single bullet and a full round, pass the gun don't hear a sound, the chances are you will survive, unless the lady leaves your side. Pass the gun 'round and 'round, close your eyes and hit the ground, hurry and drink down your liquor before it's your turn to pull the trigger."

DaVinci rose the pistol to his head, I held my breathe in shock. After a long moment he pulled the trigger with all but a small click heard, he passed it with relief to Jack who had the same results. As the gun made it's way around I became fully aware of the situation. If the rhyme Don had continued to chant didn't make it clear enough, these boys where playing Russian Roulette.

"This is ridiculous! You can't let them do this-" I cried but was quickly hushed by the boy to my left.

From Jack the gun went to Loxley who was the quickest to spin the barrel and pull the trigger to get it over with. He only breathed when the quite 'click' was heard and the gun had left his hands.

Jacobe took the gun from Loxely and fumbled through the motions with shaking hands, he was the youngest of the group I remembered. How could Don be so cruel to make a kid go through all of this? Thankfully he too only heard the trigger click, then all eyes looked to me, Don silenced his chant and stopped circling us looking to me.

"It is your turn, Miss Hook," he said stating the obvious.

I took the gun realizing how much my hands had been shaking. I looked to the gun that rested in my palms. I felt like I was holding my own demise. I'd never even seen a pistol so close before.

"I... I can't do this, I won't do this!"

I slid the gun to Don's feet.

He glared to me, "So you think you are above destiny?"

"No, I _know _I'm above suicide," I said with disgust.

"But you must, in order for you to be one of us you have to prove yourself!"

"By playing a stupid game of chance invented by bored men who just wanted to show off to one another? I'm sorry Don but I'm already here, looks like your destiny has already made her choice."

"So you refuse our ways?"

I got up to my feet with some effort, "Duh!" I said looking to him, I could tell he was furious, this sort of thing probably never happened to Hook's main ass kisser before. It was indeed a major bow to his immense ego, good thing he had enough left to recover.

"Fine then, just know this; you will **never **be one of us."

"One of you?" I laughed, "If getting into your cult here means that I have to be mindless enough to put a gun to my own head and follow every one of your commands, I don't want to be one of you."

I took a step forward but the room had begun to spin again and I lost my balance falling into his arms and a immense cloud of blackness.

* * *

"I swear Captain, we didn't get 'er _that _drunk!"

"Then answer me why hasn't she awoke yet? The plan was set for morning and it's practically the afternoon!" these voices sounded miles away as they seemed to echo into my head.

"_You_! I blame you for this!" continued the Captain angrily. "Now how am I supposed to tust in you to watch over her when she's with Pan?"

"Captain I can assure you this sort of accident won't happen again… how was I supposed to know the kid was such a heavy drinker?" Don inquired to his own defense.

"I wonder where she gets it from?" asked one of the boys sarcastically to get a few laughs.

"Why you miserbale boy, I'l show you respect, I'll-"

I moved a hand to my head as I was pulled from my dreamy state.

"Look boys, she's awake!" exclaimed Jacobe at my side cutting off Hook's rant.

I couldn't remember a thing. I tried to sort through what happened last night but found it hard to separate reality from make believe. The present situation wasn't making it any easier, I was in Neverland after all.

I was pulled to my feet by an unmistakable cold hook that had took me by around the wrist. Rubbing my eyes, I decided to give up trying to remember and focus on what was happening in the present.

"Evangeline my sweet, how pleasant for you to finally join us."

"Any time," I mumbled shielding my eyes from the sun.

"Sorry there is no time for small talk, we're very late you see and I'm not one for tardiness."

He was pulling me along the deck, another member of his crew followed us with ropes in hand.

"Late for what?" I asked before Hook grabbed both my wrists.

"Why Evangeline, the reason you were brough to Neverland dearest!"

The man had began to roughly tie my hands together after turning me around.

The reason I was brought here? I gasped in realization. Today was the day I'd meet Pan, the Peter Pan. God, what do you say to a guy like that? Would he even like me as much as all these guys seem to thing he would?

"Why am I being tied up?" I inquired but instead was pushed forward.

"Act scared, Evangeline," whispered Hook as looked in front of me to see the plank I was walking toward.

"I don't need to act scarred, what's the plan exactly?"

"We already went over it."

"I'm a bad listener, one more time, please!" I asked through a nervous, shaky voice.

Hook rolled his eyes and gave me one last nudge before I stumbled on to the plank above the roaring the water. Gaining my balance I turned around, the crew stared back to me, Hook was at the front blocking my way back to the ship.

"This ain't funny, I can't even swim!"

"Enough of your mouth girl," Hook yelled theatrically, "save it for the crocodiles!"

The crew cheered to his threats, I glanced to Don who was the only one who remained stoned faced. He was looking to the sky nervously, it became clear then that this was all an act. It may have been obvious but after last night I had a hellish headache and wasn't exactly feeling like playing any sort of role.

I looked back to Hook who gave me a stern glare, "Scream Evangeline!" he said under his breathe.

I took a step back nearly loosing my balance again. I couldn't scream, I couldn't even walk strait, fear was clutching at my limbs, at my heart.

"Scream now!" he said in the same manner.

I looked to him terrified, "I can't!" I said barley over a whisper.

He frowned, "Well see if this helps!"

He stomped on the plank causing me to stumble back a few steps, "STOP!" I yelled, but he did it once more, now standing at the end I had no chance of catching myself. I screamed falling backwards off the plank.

I closed my eyes as tight as I could anticipating either a slow death by water or crocodile… yet niether happen. Confused I opened my eyes and met face to face with my savior, this would be my first impression of the true Peter Pan. He smiled down to me curiously and laughed at my discomfort. This was becoming much to handle with a hangover.

"Curse you Pan!" cried Hook's voice from below me.

Suddenly, instead of being suspended in mid air, Peter perched himself on the mast still holding me in his arms.

"An innocent girl? That's rather low for even you, don't ya think Hookey?" said the boy before pulling the ropes from my wrists, thankful to be free of them I rubbed the tender skin there.

Hook grimaced and shook his hooked hand up to me and Pan, "How dare you ridicule me, boy! Men, take aim at the both of them!"

With that we both were gone with a breeze darting into the sky. I can't explain the feeling I felt then, flying in the arms of a man a day ago I would have laughed if anyone told me actually lived. But besides the fear and weightlessness of floating in the air I felt something more. Pan taking me away from that dark, musky ship, the yelling Hook and mysterious Don, him ripping the ropes that bond my wrists, it all meant so much more than I expected it would. No matter how well Hook treated me and how I had agreed to it all, I had been a prisoner none the less. Thinking on it now, I was still a prisoner.

"Slow down, I'm not very good with heights!" I said covering my eyes with a hand.

I frowned and uncovered my eyes to see the boy looking to me, "God, watch where you're going at least!"

I covered my eyes again praying I would be reunited with land sometime soon.

Suddenly, we dropped a few feet, Pan landing skillfully on his feet, me clinging to him for my own life.

"Uh… we've landed," he informed me.

I peeled myself away from stumbling back on the rock we landed on in the center of what seemed to be a small lagoon.

He examined me from where I stood, I noted that this boy clearly lacked any sort of manners, the way he looked at me I couldn't tell if he was honestly curious or just plain perverted.

"Excuse me, Peter, that is your name isn't it?"

"What," he asked his attention now at my face.

"Your name, hello!"

He cocked his head to the side still seeming to figure something out.

"Who are you?" he finally asked.


	7. Odder than Tiger Lilly

It was such a simple question, I supposed it would take the average person half a second to answer, but this experience has made me question everything I once thought I knew as well as my right hand.

"I'm… Eva."

He tilted his head to the side, "Eva _what_?"

"Nothing, I'm just Eva. Okay?"

I turned my back to him, seeing there was water nearby I decided to use it to my advantage.

Kneeling before the small pound, I reached out to cup a hand full. I supposed my days of warm showers had passed and this would have to be the next best thing.

Looking into the water I felt some sort of presence I looked up to see an upside down face starring an inch away from mine. I jumped back, wanting to run from his preying eyes, from this whole stupid situation.

"Stop that!" I yelled in his face as he continued to stare, at least now he was right side up.

"Stop what?" he asked in that same curious way.

I looked to him with a face that wondered if he were serious, "Flying!"

He looked hurt as his feet sunk to the ground, "Flying?"

_Wow, this guy was a winner, _"Yes. Flying_._"

His brown eyes looked to the ground and a hand reached to the back of his auburn head, he smirked sort of confused, "Usually girls like that, when I fly I mean."

_Girls? _

"Well I don't," I answered sharply, "It sort of makes me want to throw up."

I walked past him back to the water still wanting to wet my face, he watched as I passed.

"Well… dontcha wanna know who I am?"

I do think that Pan was running out of ways to get my attention.

"No, I know who you are," I was suddenly reminded of my situation, of _who _he was, what I was meant to do. Actually make this boy (or whatever he was) want me. I was also reminded of who he was, Peter Pan, the legend, still, kneeling under his shadow he seemed like just a boy, normal as one any other. You know, except for the whole flying thing.

"Well of course you know who I am, everyone does!"

"Then why did you ask?"

"Well I asked you your name…you're not very friendly, are you?" he asked.

I stopped rubbing my face with wet palms, I should at least try be pleasant, shouldn't I? He already thought I was a bitch without common manners.

"I'm sorry Pan, what sort of mood would you be in if someone just forced you to walk the plank?"

"Oh… well where are you from then?"

I paused again, _why the hell didn't Hook tell me about this? That Pan happened to be a pretty nosy son of a bitch?_

"I'm from… England," I lied.

He cocked his head, "England?" he obnoxiously repeated.

"Yeah, jolly old England. It rains a lot there." I wasn't certain why I lied, I guess I figured that he had a thing for girls from London.

He wasn't seeming to buy my lame story. He had began to walk around me, circling me almost, it kind of reminded me of some sort of cat trying to figure out what it had caught in it's paw before playing with it. I had a hunch he'd never seen anyone like me.

"You don't sound like you're from there, you talk sorta like I do."

"Well I'm probably from a part of England your not familiar with that's all, maybe we're from the same place," I stood up and met him face to face again, less intrusive this time.

He wasn't very tall but he still beat me a couple of inches, I noted how he was dressed in mostly green, he didn't give off the impression of being disgustingly filthy but he definitely wasn't any sort of clean, I'd say scruffy. He smelled like smoke for some reason.

His figure was lean but strong, yet not overly so. He looked different than what I would picture, yet exactly the same. I don't think I'd ever get used to seeing him in person or him starring at me like the way he was, it was all getting to be to much for my hungover self.

"So, what do they say about me there?" he asked a corner of his mouth pulling into a smirk.

The second thing I noted was his self-esteem which he seemed to have enough of to fuel a rocket. His head was tilted back on some sort of punk 'I'm the best there is' angle. Well, he _was _Peter Pan after all.

Wait... _I_ was Evangeline _Hook_. Doesn't that count for something cool?

"Oh they say plenty, but to be honest, I didn't believe a word…" I walked past him again looking out into the woods, I was sure he was watching my back still.

"Well you gotta believe now, right?" he asked excited expecting something positive from me in return. After all, who comes to Neverland and regrets it? Perhaps a person who was dragged here against her will.

"I believe…" I scratched the back of my head looking to where he stood, "that I'm hungry."

His smile dimmed for a moment, the whole seen was getting too awkward for me so I walked off the boulder onto the grass that lead to the on coming forest.

_'How could anyone expect a girl to get through to this guy? How could they put this whole mess on my shoulders?' _Were some of the angered thoughts that flooded my mind as I began to march off, I didn't get far though before he was floating at my side.

"Can I help you?" he asked timidly.

I shot him a nasty glance, then softened my glare with a smile, "What makes you think I need help?"

He shrugged, "I think those screams on Hooky's ship gave you away. What were you doing there exactly Eva, nothing I'm just Eva, Okay?"

I could only stare at him until I remembered what I told him my name was. Alright, so it was cute enough to get me to stop walking.

"So I got myself in a bit of trouble. I'm not like other girls you've met in you past… I'm from a much rougher part of England."

He dropped to the ground in front of me with some sort of smart-ass grin, "But you're still just a girl, you probably need my help to-"

"Just a girl?" I asked cutting off his sentence.

"Yeah, you are a girl aren't you?"

I calmed any anger I was mustering inside me with a much better idea, I smiled as best I could to him, "You're right Pan, I am just a girl..."

He nodded, "Of course I'm right!"

"And if it weren't for you, I'd be dead!" I supposed I had stepped too close to him, he had taken a step away.

"He wouldn't have thought twice, that dog!" he said leaning against the boulder we'd been on. He pulled his dagger from where he wore on his belt and pretended to examine it passing it between his hands.

"Should I thank you then?" I took his hand so he was forced to pay attention to me.

He glanced to me, clutching the blade in his other hand.

"Thank me how?" he asked curiosity taking over his eyes.

I looked down and shrugged, "I would love to do something nice for you… is there anything you want for me to do? You've probably never met a girl like me before… I'm very... bad."

He stared at me for a long moment searching both my eyes before breaking his visage with a wide grin. He snickered under his breathe rising into the air, it seemed he as laughing at _me_. Naturally, I was offended. Come one, I said I was bad, what man could resist _that_?

"What's so damn funny?" I asked looking up.

He looked to me and shrugged controlling his laughter, "I'm not sure what you've heard of me, girl."

"What do you mean what I've heard of you? You're Peter Pan, the… the…"

"The what? The legend, the lost boy? You don't probably know me at all..." he raised both his hands behind his head after concealing the dagger back in his belt.

I didn't want to outwardly agree, so I didn't.

"You're right though," he went on from above my head. "I haven't exactly met a girl like you… recently," he continued to laugh at his own words as I crossed my arms below him not bothering to look up. "I don't even think Tiger Lilly's tried that line, and I thought she was the oddest girl I've met!"

"Hahaha," I retorted dryly.

"Clearly there is a reason Hooky brought you here, let's hear it!"

I underestimated this fairytale creation. Greatly.

"Maybe if you get down here I'll explain," I hissed between my teeth, he slowly reached the ground, sitting cross legged on boulder the in front of me.

"Now, you had better listen good Pan," I began trying to get him to look back at me.

"Well on with it Eva, nothing I'm just Eva okay?"

I sighed closing my eyes, I wondered how long until I'd snap and choke him in his sleep.

"Hook… kidnapped me. I don't why. He had this boy take me away from my family last night and then this morning he made me walk the plank. Now I'm here, and I'm still hungry."

Peter cocked his head back, a frown pulling at his features. "Was the boy that took you tall, with dark hair and the Devil's eyes?"

He was looking intently down at me waiting for answer, I nodded, sounded enough like Don to me.

"Don!" he said under his breathe, he looked back to me questioningly.

I shifted awkwardly below his glare. _He couldn't read minds along with that flying power could he?_

"Hook is a sad man," he finally said jumping down to my side, "but to kidnap an innocent girl, I don't believe that…"

_I'm going to kill Don for not thinking up a better plan. He only had what, seventeen years?_

"I guess I'm just really fucking lucky then."

I had nothing else to say. This was all becoming a confusing and embarrassing mess and I wasn't even ten minutes into it yet. I turned my back to him catching a glimpse of the pirate ship as it disappeared into the horizon.

Those bastards.

I felt completely alone, and nervous of the fact that I now relied completely on Peter. I only prayed to God he didn't suspect me.

All of a sudden, a rough hand found my wrist and I was jerked backwards.

"Heey, what's the idea Pan?" I cried, looking to his face to see the same frown was back pulling at his features.

"You're coming with me," he didn't sound happy.

"No I'm not! Where are we going?" I tired to pull out of his grasp but it was no use.

He turned to me taking me into his arms, "Hold on."

"Wait, we aren't going…" before I had time to finish my sentence, the feeling of ground was a distant memory. "Please Pan, I'm scared of heights!"

"At the moment girl, that's the least of your worries."

"… the _hell _does that mean?"

* * *

So this wasn't the _longest _chapter but it certainly gave me a headache for some reason. Anyways, school is finally over and hopefully I'll get a chance to update this really soon!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'll love you all even more if you do it again ;)

**~Rose**


	8. Don't Drink and Fly

Yes, I'm back! I think I win the award for most sporadic updates. Ever.

I'm sincerely sorry but you know how life just gets in the way sometimes… ugh. This is without a doubt, my most popular fic and I swear I will finish it hopefully by the end of this year, my senior year that is! Woot!

Please review again lovely readers (but I completely understand if you've moved on), thank you all so much :D

(Once again, swearing, sexual innuendo, and all together naughtiness abound! Hurrah!)

xox Rose

* * *

Flying. I shall never get used to such utter nonsense.

I was laying flat across his back, my arms around his neck not particularly caring for his own comfort or the fact that I was probably choking him.

"Where are we going?" I yelled against his ear, "If you don't answer me you're really gonna be-"

"To meet my men!"

I thought for a moment, his men… he means those lost boys?

"But… why can't we just walk?"

He said nothing. Leave it to me to make the kid who's supposed to greet you with a smile as he declares _"you're gonna love it here!"_ angry and silent as if I ripped the wings off of his little fairy friend.

After five minutes up in the air, with my eyes shut as tight as possible, I swore I would through up. It was coming, it was inevitable! Then, just when I thought I would lose it, he dropped me, and before I had a chance to curse him out, I was on my way down a twisting sort of slide. For a moment I pictured Alice falling through the rabbit hole. I would _so_ take Wonderland over Neverland any day of the week after this.

In another instant, I landed on my stomach in a heap of lace and petticoat on a bed that definitely could have used trip to Better Bedding.

"Christ," I moaned getting onto my hands and knees. My head was spinning, I was still up in the air. "HolyfuckingJesusChrist," I said grabbing my head feeling my stomach leap to my throat. Shaking, I sat up at the end of the bed, unable to lift my head up, I folded over in two like a rag doll. A hung over, pissed off, rag doll.

After a moment of convincing myself I was not going to see what I ate last strewn across the floor, I lifted my head. This was a mistake.

I saw around five or so boys starring to me as if I had crawled out of the gutter and died right in front of them. This was more than enough for me to forget any inner promises, I turned away from them and violently lost my last meal over the side of the bed.

I heard gasps of disgust, shock, and a chorus of 'ewws', as I lied there lifelessly.

"Well what the hell do you expect from a girl whose been through all nine circles of Dante's Inferno in a matter of hours?" I choked through a raspy voice.

"Should I get a stick to poke her with?" asked a small boy from the front.

"No, don't go near her, she could be highly infectious," remarked another boy.

"Men, fall in… oh," said Peter about to give his usual order before seeing his men starring to him. "What's wrong?" he asked getting closer to the scene.

The boys pointed to me, the disheveled mess I was, clinging for dear life to the side of the bed.

His face took on a look of seriousness, "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing sir," answered a boy who didn't sound too much of a child to me, "we were all just minding our own business when she fell though the shoot. We were all just starring at her when she went mad then, uh, chucked her cookies, if you catch me drift."

"He means after she threw up," said another boy.

I rolled my eyes, "Shut up!" I groaned with a lingering sour taste in my mouth, "If everyone could shut their moths I bet I could… just… fall… asleep."

This would be the final sentence I stated before falling into that same blackness. The last thing I remember was a hand, a hand that was gently placed on my back. For a moment I thought it was my mom, and that I was back at home.

* * *

I awoke with the same unpleasant taste in my mouth wondering how long I had been asleep. Before even opening my eyes I was reminded of the past events. Had I really met _him_? Was it really _the _boy? I rolled onto my side. No one seemed to be bothering me at the moment. I decided to take it for granted.

"I saw her move!" gasped a boy, my eyes flung open. I'm not sure if it was some sort of natural instinct but I sat up strait in bed, ready to defend myself with my arms over my head.

"DON'T come any closer!" I cried, "I swear, I have some mace in my bag, I'll use it too!"

After a gapping silence, I lowered my arms only to a see a face no more than an inch away from mine.

I cried out before burying my head back under the covers.

"Who are you people, where in the hell am I?" I mumbled into the fabric.

"Finally, you're awake."

I peeked over the covers to see those same boys lounging about and Peter, there, standing at the front of the bed. For some reason seeing him calmed me, yet alarmed me all at once. It was a childhood memory come to life before my eyes. Even though the predicament I found myself in was weird (to put it lightly), for an instant I had a fleeting, strange, and unpredicted feeling like I belonged here. It as like Déjà vu, only stronger.

I sat up and rested the covers on my lap placing my hands neatly on my lap. In doing so I noticed the room no longer smelled of my vomit but of fresh air, much cleaner than I have ever breathed. I also caught the strong scent of burning wood as if it were engraved into the walls of the small cavern.

"Yes, I have awoken," I stated in a manner meant to be haughty.

He gave me an odd look that was soon masked by a sympathetic smile.

"Are you… okay?"

Once again, the natural instinct of bitch took over, "Okay? Are you like… totally, impossibly, INSANE! I'm hungover and you almost _killed _me! I said no flying but oh, we jut _had _to fly. It's a wonder all I did was through up!"

I watched as the group of boys seemed to take a step back from me. Any curiosity in their young eyes, exuberated in one pissed off girl's rant.

"What's hungover?" asked a boy, the same boy who a moment ago had demolished my personal space.

Peter kept his eyes on me, "Oh, that's why you're so sick?"

I stared blankly to him, "Yes, that's the reason Sherlock," I stated sarcastically.

"The name is Pan, Lady!" shouted another young man to me. I shot him a look, he was blonde with a pointed nose, he looked to be just as old as Peter.

"I know his name, I was just being… oh never mind," I folded my arms over my chest and pouted. I know this isn't the best first impression, then again, I never did believe much in first impressions.

"Never mind that men, this is Eva!" he proclaimed jumping to my side gallantly presenting me to the unimpressed crowd. "Eva may _or may not _be from England, _could _have been kidnapped by Hook, and _suspiciously_ lacks a last name." he stated all in the air of a detective heard from an old times radio show.

_Well, so much for that plan Don and dear old Dad! _I commented inwardly,_ This boy just outsmarted seventeen years of your thinking!_

_No. Eva don't think like that, you can take this kid! You went to school. He lived in some sort of magical fantasy forest. I can so end him. And Neverland. And get Don to bow in submission to me. _

"Wait a second Pan, I think you're a little confused," I injected.

"I don't think I-"

"But you are," I continued, "I am a perfectly innocent young maiden of England. I was raised by a lovely mother, don't you all like mothers?" no one reacted to my question, I went on. "Anyways, it's like I said, I'm totally innocent, it's Hook that kidnapped me! It's because of him that I'll never see mother again… or nanny. No that's not right. Wait, what the hell was that dog's name?"

_Is now too late to mention I talk a lot when I'm nervous?_

"Enough talking about this nonsense!" exclaimed a boy more interested in a harpoon like entrustment he was sharpening as reclined back in his chair, his feet strung over a beat up wooden table. "She clearly is pulling this all out of her arse."

I gasped, "Language like that from a lost boy? First no animal costumes, now this? I'm disappointed."

"Sorry," said the boy dryly. I could tell by his glance to me, he didn't trust me for an instant nor care of my existence.

I grimaced to this thought, another downfall of mine. My feelings are always so clearly written on my face. I glanced to Peter beside me, he glared to me, I looked away quickly.

"Fine, fine, fine," I repeated several times deciding to come clean, or rather, as clean as possible.

"Listen, Peter, boys. My name is Eva. Eva _Archer_. I'm from America, not England. I'm scarred and nervous and I'm probably about to pass out again since I haven't eaten in days and just throw up all that was remaining in my empty stomach. I don't know why I lied, just like I don't know why Hook took me from my home," I glanced to Peter then, he only stared to the ground. I looked to others, their eyes everywhere but looking at mine. I sighed, "I've heard of this land, in dreams, in stories. I know who you are! I know of Peter and his heroic lost boys… how they welcome the lost, the young, the adventurous." Finally, their eyes began to flicker up to mine, I smirked, "I know it wouldn't mean much to you… but want in."

Peter made a short, stabbing laugh, "No, I don't think so Eva, Eva Archer." He said reciting my name just as I had a moment ago. Really Peter, it wasn't that cute the first time.

I got out of the bed and followed him as he walked over to where his motley crew of boys were spread around the cozy tree house.

"You mean to tell me - all those stories- everyone that I heard aren't true? That Peter Pan isn't the friendly, welcoming, young forever guy he's made out to be?"

"Where'd you get this one?" wondered a boy aloud, "She isn't like the others."

"Excuse me, don't talk as if I'm not in the room! And what does he exactly mean by _others_?" I asked looking to Pan, but before he could answer another boy interrupted.

"She sure isn't like the others," he repeated suddenly behind me with a dark sort of tone to his voice. I turned to face him.

"She has such odd hair," I heard another just before feeling a tug on the back of my head. Turning to the other boy to give him a piece of my mind, I felt a hand snake around to my backside. This had gone too far.

I spun around to slap whoever was stupid enough to _touch _me when Peter stepped between the crowd and I.

"Tell your little boys to behave themselves," I warned in a shaky voice.

He smiled, _god damnit _how I wanted to hit that grin off his face.

"I'm sorry girl, but you are in our home."

My mouth hung open as I stared to him searching my mind for a reply, "They could at lest keep their dirty hands to themselves!" I cried.

The boys snickered to themselves, "Ooh, dirty hands, I'm so insulted!" shouted one in laughter.

"All right," I said raising my voice in frustration, "I'll play by your rules. I don't understand though. I have no where else to go, why won't you let me stay?"

Peter took a seat in a large throne looking chair that stood in a corner. He stretched back into it reclining his lanky arms behind his head, "Who said that we wouldn't letchya stay?" he asked nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes, "You did."

"No I didn't!" he retorted sitting up.

"Well you implied it."

"No, I don't think I did that either."

I held back my searing rage, "Fine then. Still, you have an odd way of welcoming a girl into this-"

"Do you ever stop talking?" he rudely interrupted, throwing a wrench into my train of thought.

I gaped to him mindlessly before finally stammering a quiet 'yes'.

"Good. Now, I can introduce my men." I watched as the boys quickly formed a line in front of their leader. After meeting Don and Hook's men, I didn't think I could take any more characters. Let's just say, it wasn't very high on my list of priorities to remember another set of random names.

"There's Specs, Slightly, Nibs, Stitches, Quarter, Ace, and Ted!"

I looked to the boys who were proudly saluting Peter, "What?" I asked thoroughly confused.

Peter found his way in a graceful jump to my side, "Yup, that's all of them all right! Now, you say that you want to be one of us, eh?"

I stared to him, he and all the others were looking to me. Some of them stared to me as if I were an insect, others still had a snippet of curiosity brewing over this strange, curly haired, exotic girl.

"Uh, I'm just really hungry right now, and I'm sorry I didn't catch a single one of your names."

"Oh never mind that, there's more fun things to do!" he declared tugging on my arm.

"Like… what?" I asked as he led me by the wrist.

"Like hunting!" said one of the elder boys.

"Hide and seek," said the smallest.

"Treasure hunting," rang another along with a multitude of others I didn't catch.

"Pick one!" cried a boy, I believed they called Quarter, jumping up and down.

Another older boy nudged him harshly, "No ya idoit, don't let the _girl _choose!"

"Naw Slighty, yer 'spossed ta let the girl choose!" disagreed a boy wearing a pair of thick, crooked, glasses. I went out on a limb pegging him as 'Specs'.

"So Eva," said Peter looking to me, "what will it be?"

I gaped to him as some of the others held their breathe to hear my answer.

"Eating!" I exclaimed to get the boys to groan in aggravation.

Peter made a crooked frown looking to his men who glanced to him.

"Hunting." they stated in unison as if it were rehearsed a hundred times.

Then in a flash, the room erupted. The boys ran to all corners of the room grabbing their bows and arrows, slingshots, and daggers. I was left standing awkwardly next to a proud looking Peter as they rushed around us like we were placed in the center of a swarm of bees on methamphetamine.

"But Pan," I said facing him as he looked to the others, "I don't want to hunt! I can't hunt!"

"Aw don't' worry Eva, you'll see the whole woods! Come on, let's go!" he exclaimed taking me once more by the wrist and dragging my toward the exit.

My stomach lurched again. Hook and Don will _forever _be in my debt.

* * *

Wow, I really missed Eva! Anyways, a new chapter shouldn't take too long. Maybe a little holiday present? ^_~

~Rose

***Edit*** So, I've been revising all previous chapters to this fic. Now I haven't changed anything magor, basically just grammar, spelling, word choice, and comma errors. Really, I just made this fiction... readable. Er, I _hope _anyway. I think I should thank my English teacher this year for really opening my eyes to how much I coud improve on my writing. Odd enough, her first name's Katrina...


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